Improvement in the manufacture of drain-pipes



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improvement in Manufacture of Drain-Pipe. N0. 128,369, Patentedlune25,1872.

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UNITED STATES FERDINAND DICKENSON, JR., OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J. E. COLEMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

Specification forming` part of Letters Patent No. 128,369, dated June25, 1872.

Specification describing an Improvement in the Manufacture ofDrain-Pipes, invented by FERDINAND DICKENSON, J r., of the city andcounty of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut.

The improvement relates to means whereby I compress or compact togetherthe material with a high degree of force and uniformity. I produce thecomplete sections of pipe with the ends properly formed for joiningtogether, requiring little labor or skill. I can employ a mixture ofRosendale cement or analogous fat lime, generally termed water-lime,with sand, employing liberal admixtures of coarser flinty particles orgravel to economise the material. I can employ any of the mixtures ofthese or other materials which have been heretofore used in themanufacture of cement pipes. I believe that I can employ clays ofvarious kinds, and can manufacture by my means pipes thereof whichrequire burning in kilns to make them properly durable; but I willdescribe the invention as applied to the manufacture of cement pipes.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section with the core and its attachmentsin their lowest position. Fig. 2 is a corresponding section of a portionwith the core in its highest position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with aportion of the removable casing broken away to show the core and itsattachments within. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the winged piece which iscarried on the top of the core.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A is a rigid frame-work or foundation, which affords a support for theseveral parts, as will be obvious. B is adrivin g-shaft, receivingthrough belts or fast and loose pulleys, or otherwise, arotatory motionin opposite directions, at will. The gearing represented communicatesthis motion to the upright sh aft C, and the sm all gearwheel Cl thereongives motion to the large gear-wheel D1,which, by means of the splinekeyd, gives motion to the shaft D. This shaft is the instrument throughwhich several important functions are performed. The collars D2 D3,above the screw-thread d1, receive and confine between them the boss orcentral hub of a horizontal wheel, D4, which turns therewith and risesand sinks therewith, as the screw-thread d1 shall require, by traversingin the long nut E mounted below. This nut E is, under some conditions,liberated and allowed to turn with the screw, but will for the presentbe understood to be held in a fixed position, so that as the shaft D isrevolved it shall rise or sink slowly. The horizontal wheel D4 carries,by means of bolts d2, a tall hollow casting marked D5, which I term acore. It performs the function of holding out the material and shapingthe interior of the pipe. Its upper end carries a removable piece markedD6, which is peculiar andimportant. This piece D6 is adapted to belocked and removed at pleasure, by means of a bayonet-joint connection,to the upper projecting end ofthe shaft D. It is provided with helicalblades analogous to the blades of a screw-propeller, but, preferably,extending further around. I prefer to employ two of these blades; butone may serve, or a greater number may be employed, if preferred. As theshaft D revolves in the proper direction the screw-bladeswhich I willdesignate by the general letter D-take hold of any material which ispresented to them and compress it or compact it downward with greatforce. It will be observed that they do not extend out horizontally, butdroop at an angle of about forty-ve degrees. M is a movable casing,which may be formed of rolled iron, steel, or analogous material, havinga joint or opening on one side provided with legs or fastenings 5 orthere may be continuous flanges along those edges if preferred, by whichthe joint may be tightly and strongly secured and again liberated atpleasure. The entire casing M, with its fastenings m, is adapted to besecured down by engaging under the stout hooks A', fixed on the frame,as represented. The case M may be readily disengaged by partiallyturning it around on its seat, and, after the pipe is formed therein,may be lifted with its inclosed material and carried away and opened anda new case substituted in its place. The entire shaft D, with itsattached core D5, is lowered previous to the applying of an empty case,M,

and the screw-top D6 being properly secured in position, the case M isapplied and fastened, and a quantity of the previously-mixed dampmaterial is supplied through the open top. The machinery being now setin operation, the shaft D is turned, and the screw-winged piece Dicommences its revolution in the bottom ofthe semi-plastic mass, catchinghold of the several particles within its range and crowding themforcibly down. The adjacent surface of the framing is formed conical, asshown, immediately embracing the core D5 so as to give the desiredhollow conical form to the compressed material. As the winged piece D6catches successive quantities of the plastic material and crowds itforcibly down, the screw-thread d1, acting within the nut E, raises itslowly, so that at each revolution a thin and ti ghtly-compacted layeriscompressed and iirmly united with the previously-compressed materialbelow. Thus the pipe is rapidly built up by successive increments,uniformly and forcibly packed by the action of the screw DG, until thewhole has mounted to or near the extreme top of the casing M. The underside of the screw-piece D6 is conical near its periphery, and properlyformed to impart just the right shape to the finished end of thecompressed pipe. It can be held steady at the proper level for a littletime and allowed to revolve there. This is effected at the properjuncture by liberating the nut E, as before suggested. F is a slidingbolt mounted in suitable guides in the framing, and adapted to matchinto one or more notches in the periphery of thenut E. lts outer end ispivoted .to the hand-lever G, which turns upon a iixed center, g. Theattendant, by moving this hand-lever G a little distance, detaches thebolt F from the nut E, and the nut E, thereupon turning with the screwD, allows the screw and its attachments to revolve a dozen times, moreor less, at a iixed level. This operation iinishes the upper end of thepipe andv causes it to match exactly to the hollow end of the next one,when they are applied together for use. I believe it practicable tooperate with some success without the further provision shown forinsuring the rotation of the nut E. But I will describe the provisionwhich I have used and esteem important to guarantee that the motion ofthe n'ut shall be uniform with that of the screw when desired, and thisis the clutch H, which is mounted on the screw-shaft D at a little lowerlevel, and is caused to revolve therewith by means of a spline-key, h.The upper face of this clutch H and thelower face of the nut beingtoothed and properly adapted to each other, an extension of the leverGr, taking hold of the clutch-piece E, causes it to rise and engage withthe nut at the same moment that the bolt F is withdrawn. Now, by givingsufficient motion to the hand-lever Gr it will be seen that the nut isrst liberated by the removal of the bolt F, and then immediately afterengaged by the clutch II and compelled toturn with the screw D. The pipeina-y be made of any thickness desired. The ratio of the diameter of theinterior core to the diameter of the entire pipe may vary within widelimits. I have represented about the proportion generally employed indrain-pipe. The exterior casin g M may, if preferred, be made ofcast-iron or other material, and may be made in two halves, or in agreater number of sections, like the staves of a barrel, if preferredfor any reason. So, also, the interior core D5 may be variouslyconstructed.

I have represented what I esteem a proper and desirable construction.However these parts are formed, they are liable to be exposed to veryconsiderable strains. pression induced by my screw-piece D6 is and oughtto be quite powerful. It is obviously much more efcient by acting on afew particles ora thin layer at a time, instead of acting through agreat mass at the same moment; but the peculiar operation does notrelieve the exterior and interior walls of the forming mass from aconsiderable pressure.

I have found, in practice, that a core, D5, having a diameter equal totwothirds the entire diameter of the pipe, on beingV thrust up into theloosely-deposited mass of mixed material does not cause a rise of thesurface of the soft material to as great an extent as its displacementwould seem to require. I ascribe this to the close packing of theparticles. In fact, in making pipe of a fair thickness the casing M isfilled nearly full at the commencement, while the core D5 is in itslowest position, and as the eore rises, very little of the material isultimately forced out at the top. Nearly all of the entire contents isretained in the form of a closely-compacted pipe.

The action of the drooping wings on the piece D6 not only compresses thematerial by small successive increments or layers, and leaves it with aproper incline for the male end of the pipe, with a uniformity of actionfrom the extreme opposite end to which the droop allows it to matchexactly, but also drawsthe material inward by acting thus obliquely uponit, so as to counteract the tendency to press it outward too forciblyagainst the interior of the casing. The ordinary form of screw wingspress it out against the case more forcibly than against the core. Myform compresses it about equally in both directions, and makes the outerand inner surfaces about equally dense, but with a slight excess ofdensity and smoothness on the inner surface where it is most needed.

When the section of pipe is finished, so far as its production withinthe casin g M and between it and the core D5 is concerned, its removalmust be next attended to. Stopping the machinery entirely I disen gagethe top piece, which I have designated the screw piece D6, by turning itpartially around ou the shaft D and lifting it off. The projections D7,represented just above the screw-wings on the piece DG, serve the doublefunction of handles to lift it by at this stage, and of mixers to aid inagitating the plastic mass as it comes up The com-V A ing out the corefrom the nished pipe I believe may be more rapid than that by which itwas elevated, and thus a little time may be saved under somecircumstances; but in my experiments I have run it down with the sameslow motion with which it was elevated. When,

as will usually be the case, the work is run by a single small engine orpair of engines without a governor the speed may be. increased to anydegree which may be convenient in running down the core. So soonV as thecore is withdrawn the case M may be liberated by partially turning it orotherwise unlocking it from the holdin g-hooks A', and the case with'itscontained length of pipe may then be loaded on a cart or car to carryaway to the dryingfloor; and the top piece D6 being applied and lockedon the top of the core and of the shaft D, a fresh case, M, may beapplied and filled or nearly lled, and the operation repeated.

The wheel D4 is formed with radial grooves,

Awhich allow the locking-bolts d2 to be moved outward and inward to anydesired extent to allow of an exchange of cores. I can vary the size ofthe cores D5 within wide limits by simply changing the portion of theframing immediately surrounding, and which should iit closely thereto.

In the working of some compounds of Vmaterials, and in the manufactureof some sizes of pipes, it may be desirable to avoid the continuousrotatory motion of the core D5. In such case I mount the wheel D4loosely on the shaft D, allowing it to turn freely between the collarsD2 and D3, and provide a vertical guide engaging in a notch in the edgeof the wheel D, or other suitable means to prevent the core fromrotating. Care should be taken under such working to furnish the jointat the top, between the core D5 and the screw-piece D6, with leatherpacking or other efiicient means for preventing the clogging of thejoint with the material which is being worked. The joint should betightened easily, so that the screw piece D6, receiving powerful andcontinuous rotatory motion as before from the revolving shaft D, shallgraduallyclimb through the mass of 1n aterial and compact it down in thea nnularspace around the core, while the core shall perform the samefunctions as before--of holding it out to its proper place after it hasbeen thus com! pacted-without the rotatcry motion.

I can work the machine in various other positions, and with variousother proportions of the parts than are here represented. The machinernay be worked with `the shaft in a horizontal or in various inclinedpositions instead of an upright position. It may be preferred for someuses to give arotatory motion to the external casing M, making itsinterior'very smooth, and revolving it by suitable machinery in thedirection opposite to that of the internal core and of the screw-piece.

Sonne of the advantages due to certain features of my invention may beseparately enumerated, as follows: First, by reason of the fact that thescrew-wings D, which compress the material -by small increments, have aninoline or drooping form on their under surfaces, I am able to give thepipe the uniform density and hardness due to the action of thescrew-wings, and consequently a high degree of strength and soundness,and the tendency is toleave the body of the pipe uniformly compressed onits inner and outer surfaces, and also with the proper taper for themale end of the pipe. Second, by reason of the screw-thread d workingwithin the nut E below the core D5, and the win ged screw piece D6working in the plastic material, I am able, byconvenient mechanism, toregulate with uniformity the rate of ascent of the screw piece throughthe soft material, and to insure that the layers compressed thereby areuniform and regular. Third, by reason of the unlocking device F and itsoperating means I am able to liberate the nut E at the proper period andallow the shaft D to turn at a given level, and thus, by means ofthewinged piece DG, to give a superior nish to the upper or male end of thepipe, and again to engage the screw conveniently when it is .necessaryto lower the core. Fourth, by reason of the clutch piece H and the leverG, operating as shown, I am able to insure the turning of the nut Euniformly with the shaft D so soon as it is liberated by thedisengagement of the bolt F, and to insure its release again just priorto its being again relocked. Fifth, by reason of the handles D7, asarranged on the screw-piece D, I am able to conveniently handle thescrew piece by hand or by any suitable apparatus in taking it off andputting it on and securing it 5 and also to effect the entirely distinctand important function of stirring and kneading the material in advanceof the action of the screw-wings.

I claim as my invention- 1. The screw-wings D6, having their undersurfaces drooped to correspond with the core required for the male endof the pipe, and operati ng in the annular space between the casing Mand the core D5, substantially as herein specified.

2. The screw-thread d', nut E, and revolving shaft D, arranged below thecore D5, and winged screw-piece D6, and adapted to operate relatively toeach other and to the plastic material in the casing M or itsequivalent, substantially as specied.

3. The locking and unlocking device F with its operating means, arrangedto serve, as represented, relatively to the nut E, shaft D all,materia-l prior to the notion'of the screw-Wings,

and Winged top piece D6, for the purposes as specified. specified. Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set 4. The clutch piece H, arranged tooperate my name in presence of two subscribing Witrelatively to the nutE, liberating means F, nesses. and shaft D and its connections,substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

5. The radial armsDT on the removable screw piece D6, arranged, :isshown, and adapted to serve both as handles and as kneaders for theFERDINAND DICKENSON, JR.

Witnesses:

S. D. SPERRY, W. H. CHAMPLIN.

